Remembrance day

I was going to write a little maintenance post today, but as It is remembrance Sunday, I thought I'd share a little about a man who helped ensure that we are free to enjoy our hobby which gives us such a sense of freedom.

Roy as a young man

Hubert Roy Blowers joined the Royal Marines when he was sixteen and served aboard HMS Ajax.  On new years day 1943 at Bone in Algeria, he was manning an Oerlikon gun (20mm cannon) when a Stuka attacked.  It dropped an armour piercing bomb which went through the deck and and exploded two decks down, killing 20 crew members.  Had it been a conventional bomb, it would have been Roy's time.

Oerlikon Gun 

In 1943 he volunteered to join 'Combined operations' and spent a significant time training for operation Overlord.  Roy landed on Gold beach, near Aramanche, on the 6th June 1944 at 06:30, in his landing craft support. A powerful twin engined plywood boat with a crew of 7 and bristling with weapons.  This was rammed as far up the beach as possible,  it's intention to serve as a strong point on the beach and provide cover fire for the troops on the beach....  maybe Plywood was stronger in those days :O

Landing Craft support

Shortly after D-Day, Roy was selected to train on a new vehicle called a Lloyds carrier.  A small armour vehicle designed to follow the retreating Nazi tanks and mop up behind them.  He spent 10 months of intense fighting through France, Belgium, Holland, then across the Rhine into Germany.  He was in Wilhelmshaven when the war in Europe ended.

A loyd carrier

From here he was shipped out to Burma to clear the enemy from the many small islands.  When the Japanese eventually surrendered he made his way back to the uk and was demobbed.  

Roy was my Wifes Uncle and a more genuine, kind man it would be hard to find.  So on this day I shall remember Roy and the deeds that he and his generation did for our freedom.

Roy Blowers 16th July 1925 - 17th Nov 2017